Senator Margarita Prentice only hates certain kinds of gambling.The state budget crisis

Senator Margarita Prentice only hates certain kinds of gambling.The state budget crisis is causing some Washington politicians to reconsider the role gambling might play in bridging a $2.6 billion gap. Gov. Chris Gregoire says she’s considering allowing four-minute Keno games to help raise up to $30 million, a move which has earned her an unlikely ally.State Sen. Margarita Prentice is no one’s idea of a friend to Washington gamblers. In 2006, she sponsored legislation that made online poker a felony in line with possessing kiddie porn or torturing an animal. A bill seen largely as Prentice’s attempt to help Indian gaming interests that heavily contributed to her re-election campaigns.So why is Prentice considering sponsoring the Keno legislation? Maybe it’s that climbing out of a budget hole on the backs of gamblers is more politically palatable than taxes. Or maybe Prentice is just trying to help Washington’s math-challenged students. After all, Advanced Algebra looks easy compared to making a winning prop bet.